With Labour Day now in the rear-view mirror, sweaters and jackets will begin to make their way out of closets everywhere, which means the Meadowlands Racetrack's fall meet will shift into high gear this weekend with racing being conducted on both Friday (Sept. 11) and Saturday (Sept. 12) at the mile oval for the first time since the first week of August.

Post time will be at 7:15 p.m. for both programs.

The Meadowlands will race every Friday and Saturday – except for Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) – through the end of 2020.

The big track just off the New Jersey Turnpike saw total wagering of almost $2.6 million on opening night last Saturday (Sept. 5), and that number may increase twice over the upcoming weekend, now that all 'Big M' fans should be aware that the track is back.

The betting was significant, given the history of September wagering at the track, where an average of $1.8 million was pushed through the windows over the course of four programs in 2016, and $1.6 million was bet in 2017 for the same number of cards. The last two times racing occurred in September was 2016-17.

Optimistic breeders in the Garden State – as well as optimistic bettors – will no doubt point to the help that Gov. Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature have provided the industry as playing a part in the highly favourable September handle comparison.

The highest Meadowlands Pace Night handle since 2008, highest Hambletonian Final handle since 2012, and a record-breaking Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park further prove that those in power in Trenton are behind the racing industry.

There is plenty to look forward to this weekend for the player. Of the 26 races scheduled to take place this Friday and Saturday, 25 of them will have 10-horse fields, which create the big pools that bettors love.

Value is always available at the Big M, where only three winning favourites scored last Saturday, setting up some prolific payouts since the average win price was $11.40 (odds of 9-2).

Low takeouts and low minimums mean bettors can bet small and hit big. Some of the Saturday night highlights included the payouts for the 50-cent Late Pick-4 ($1,428), 20-cent Late Pick-5 ($1,968) and 20-cent Pick-6 ($2,128).

On a nightly basis, the track now offers seven popular wagers with low 15 per cent takeouts:

· Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5
· Race 3: 20-cent Pick-6
· Race 5: 10-cent Pentafecta
· Race 6: 50-cent Pick-4
· Race 9: 20-cent Pick-5
· Race 10: 50-cent Pick-4
· Race 13: 10-cent Pentafecta

FREE STUFF: For free past performances, go to playmeadowlands.com, where one can access Races 9 through 13 for both the Friday and Saturday programs. Those races include the 20-cent Late Pick-5, 50-cent Late Pick-4 and 10-cent Late Pentafecta, not to mention the Late Daily Double.

TWEET THE TEAM: Stay in touch on Twitter with the Big M’s Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover) and Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1). Check in everyday for Meadowlands news and updates at those handles, as well as @TheMeadowlands and #playbigm.

CHECK OUT THE PICKS: For those who need to get a leg up on the action, go to playmeadowlands.com to see track oddsmaker and analyst Brower’s selections and commentary. Check out Friday’s card here: http://playmeadowlands.com/RaceReviews.aspx?racedt=9/11/2020

Additionally, track announcer Warkentin’s blog is available on the site and offers his picks and analysis.

On race nights, access picks and plays from the Big M TV team at #playbigm or at @TheMeadowlands.

CHECK OUT THE SHOW: The Big M’s live 'Racing from The Meadowlands' pre-game show can always be seen on race nights at 6:45 p.m. On Friday, join Brower and Otten as they give in-depth analysis of the night’s featured action, as well as news and notes from the world of harness racing. Saturday will find the usual team of Brower and Little sitting on the set – socially distanced, of course. For those looking for access to the show, all they need do is go to rtn.tv, so that they can access all the action on the Roberts Television Network.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)